Falling rubble prompts closure of downtown Syracuse block

Michael Greenlar / The Post-StandardSyracuse City Department of Transportation workers errect barricades on West Fayette St. in front of SU's School of Architecture where a chunk of loose concrete fell from near the top of the buuilding Monday afternoon.

A chunk of the resurfacing on The Warehouse building became dislodged this afternoon and crashed to the pavement below - sending rubble flying across West Fayette Street.

Fire District Chief Brian Bratt was in his car at the intersection of Fayette and West streets and saw the incident.

"It was kind of startling and thankfully, there were no cars or people there at the time," Bratt said.

City police closed that block of Fayette Street, from West to Franklin streets. It will likely remain closed for at least a day, police Sgt. Tom Connellan said.

A lift-truck will aid workers in dismantling another portion of the building that appears to be loose. That portion is also several feet across and several feet tall, about 85 feet off the ground in the southwest corner of the building, SU spokesman Kevin Morrow said.

Once that section is removed, an engineer will evaluate the rest of the building to make sure no other surfaces have come loose, First Deputy Fire Chief Ed Kurtz said.

"It's not structural," Kurtz said. "It's all surface." After it is evaluated, code enforcement inspectors will also inspect it, Kurtz said. No one was evacuated from the building, he said.

The building's facade was redone several years ago when Syracuse University redesigned an old furniture warehouse to be used as studios and galleries for students, said Morrow.

It was the temporary home of the School of Architecture and now houses departments for the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Morrow said. The total renovation cost $9 million, he said.

The facade, over the original bricks, is a combination of layers of latex paint and non-friable asbestos, to form a plaster-like appearance. The asbestos is not hazardous, Morrow said.

It's still unclear what caused the crumbling. Morrow said it could be a combination of moisture and intense sun that weakened the facade.